Death Wish (2018)

Starring: Bruce Willis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Camila Morrone, Dean Norris, Beau Knapp, Kimberly Elise, Mike Epps (uncredited)
Directed by: Eli Roth
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A doctor (Bruce Willis) goes on a rampage after his family is brutally attacked in their home.

Review:

Tim: I feel like I don't have a ton to say about Eli Roth's Death Wish remake. I'm not sure why you would go to all of the trouble to remake a movie and then do such a poor job at it. This film is generic, bland, and forgettable. I'm honestly not sure why this movie was made. It's really a substandard movie in every way.

Of my complaints, chief among them is the awful performance of Bruce Willis. I remember when he was the biggest action star in the world. He really phones in this role. I never for a second believed him as a doctor, let alone a surgeon. His performance is just so bizarre. He gives this soft, whispering speaking voice and this odd little buttoned-up performance. I couldn't quite believe my eyes. He looked so uncomfortable, so out of his element. I've seen Willis give good performances here, so it's maddening to see him so bad. I suspect there were quite a few things contributing to this. First and foremost, I don't think he cares any more. He knows if he shows up and does his thing, he'll get paid. I truly believe he has lost whatever passion for acting he might have had once upon a time. Secondly, director Eli Roth should have never let this performance go. His directing of Willis was quite bad. And third, this wasn't the right role for him. Willis works when he's doing his action star thing, but the movie required too much acting. He spends too much of the time with his family, which required actual acting. Willis isn't bad in the action sequences, but those are too few and far between. He wasn't the right person for this role and it showed.

Speaking of the cast, besides Willis' poor performance, the rest of the cast is solid. Vincent D'Onofrio turns in a truly effective performance as his brother. D'Onofrio seems to care, even if his role is minor. Elisabeth Shue was good in a small role. Camila Morrone was fine, although she felt a little out of her element. I loved seeing Dean Norris here, who added a good performance.

The movie itself is about as generic and forgettable as they come. Willis' family is attacked, his wife brutally murdered and his daughter goes into a coma. And then, Willis goes through this meandering, bland journey as he becomes this vigilante tracking down those responsible for attacking his family. The way he is able to piece together the conspiracy defies all logic and belief. The script is just so lazily written. It had me rolling my eyes because of the silliness of it.

Now, I'm railing against this movie because it needed to be a lot better. I will say that the action sequences are pretty decent. As long as Bruce Willis is looking angry, kicking butt and not talking too much, those scenes are fairly entertaining. This is also a revenge movie and there's absolutely something enjoyable about a guy seeking vengeance against the bad guys. What I'm trying to say is that while this movie is lazy and silly, it's not terrible. The problem isn't that it is awful, it's just that it is supremely forgettable.

If you're going to remake a film, you need people who care more and do a better job than was done with Death Wish. Willis has made so many great movies, but this is certainly not one of them. It's a poorly made movie from start to finish and was borderline a waste of time.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Death Wish (1974)